Opposition cries foul as South Korea moves to ban pro-North party

SEOUL, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A far left-wing South Koreanpolitical party could be banned from contesting elections forits pro-North Korean stance in a move critics say smacks ofPresident Park Geun-hye's father's suppression of democracyduring his long stay in power.

The Unified Progressive Party (UPP), which holds six seatsin parliament and has contested presidential elections, iswidely seen as supporting the reclusive North's political aims.

The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53conflict ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. NorthKorea conducted its third nuclear test this year in defiance ofU.N. resolutions and has threatened the South and its majorally, the United States, with nuclear destruction.

Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said a request to disband theUPP would be submitted to the Constitutional Court.

"We have concluded that the principles and objectives of theUnited Progressive Party are in line with North Korean-stylesocialism, which goes against the basic rules of freedemocracy," Hwang told a news conference On Tuesday.

"The cabinet meeting this morning approved of filing therequest to disband the UPP."

He said prosecutors had alleged that senior UPP members had plotted to "stage revolutions" against the Seoul government.

It was not clear whether Park, who is on a tour of Europe,had endorsed the move. But last year, she described the views oftwo of its lawmakers as "dubious" and said they should not beallowed to serve in parliament.

The party secures about 1 percent of the popular vote innationwide elections and small demonstrations calling for rapidreunification with the North are a regular feature in Seoul.

Parties deemed openly hostile to the South Korean politicalsystem are banned, unauthorised travel to North Korea isprohibited and possession of North Korean publications isstrictly controlled.

OPPOSITION BLASTS MOVE TO BAN PARTY

But the main opposition Democratic United Party partydenounced the move to ban the UPP as a threat to the South'sdemocracy, which has been developing since the late 1980s.

"It is very regrettable that this unfortunate incident ishappening for the first time in the history of ourconstitution," a party spokesman told a briefing.

The Ministry of Justice launched an investigation into theUPP following a petition filed last year by an alliance ofaround 30 right-wing groups calling for a ban on the party.

"This party fundamentally opposes the Republic of (South)Korea, and should be separate from (the concept of) politicalfreedom," said Park Jung-soo, an activist heading the alliance.

Park's father, Park Chung-hee, led South Korea from 1961until his assassination in 1979, a tenure marked by human rightsabuses and the imposition of martial law, but also by policies sowing the seeds for rapid economic growth.

UPP leader Lee Jung-hee caused controversy for referring to Park Chung-hee by the name he used while serving as an officerin the Japanese Imperial Army when the Korean peninsula wasunder Japanese colonial rule.

The party has likened the current president to her father,using terminology that often echoes North Korean rhetoric.